In April 2011, the Palestinian Authority Registry published a Government Resolution granting all Palestinian prisoners imprisoned in Israel for security and terror-related offenses a monthly salary from the PA (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 15, 2011). This new resolution, called PA Government Resolution of 2010, numbers 21 and 23, formalized what has long been a PA practice.

The PA defined which Palestinians would be considered "prisoners": "Anyone imprisoned in the occupation's [Israel's] prisons as a result of his participation in the struggle against the occupation" (Ch. 1 of Law of Prisoners, 2004/19, www.alasra.ps, accessed May 9, 2011)

According to the PA definition, more than 4,500 Palestinian prisoners (as of December 2012) serving time for terror-related offenses are recipients of PA salaries. This means that Palestinians convicted of crimes such as theft do not receive a salary, but Hamas and Fatah terrorist murderers do.

These monthly payments to prisoners are paid from the PA’s general budget and income taxes are paid, as is the case with all other PA salaries (Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, June 19, 2011). According to the language of the PA regulation as well as PA economic reports on government salaries, the monthly salaries to prisoners range from 1,400 shekels to 12,000 shekels. The PA economic report listed the prisoners’ salaries as part of the PA general salary budget, which includes civil servants, military personnel and others. (Life and the Market, supplement to Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, June 19, 2011). It was not listed as a social service payment.

The PA’s general budget and salary budget is funded by numerous donor countries. Since 2011, PMW has been documenting that international donors' aid money given for salaries and to the PA general budget pays the salaries of Palestinian terrorists imprisoned in Israel. This is in violation of the letter or spirit of the laws of the funding countries.

Responding to queries from donor countries following PMW reports, the PA told the donor countries that they changed the wording of the law from “salaries” – “ratib”- to “assistance” – “i’ana.” British Minister of State stated in a letter that “we have discussed these issues with the PA at the highest levels” and “the PA has now changed the wording in the Cabinet Decision to unambiguously refer to the payment as assistance – i’ana.’” (Letter from Minister of State Alan Duncan to MP Mike Freer, see report here) However, the PA immediately contradicted what Duncan had claimed, calling it a rumor:

This was likewise corroborated by Prisoners' Club Chairman Qadura Fares, when he announced that the PA had finalized a final version of the law “which considers payments made to prisoners 'salaries,' (Arabic: ratib) to which no other term applies.” [Al-Quds Internet edition, Dec. 27, 2012]

In August 2014, the PA implemented another ruse to evade pressure from international ‎donors. The PA closed the PA Ministry of Prisoners’ Affairs and announced the ‎establishment of a new PLO Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs, which they claimed ‎would pay the salaries. ‎

However, the PLO Commission was new only in name. The PLO body would have the ‎same responsibilities and pay the exact same amounts of salaries to prisoners; the ‎former PA Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs, Issa Karake, became the Director of the new ‎PLO Commission and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas retained overall supervision of ‎the PLO Commission. [PNN Palestine News Network (independent Palestinian news agency), Aug. 29, 2014] [Ayjal radio (independent Palestinian station), Aug. 30, 2014] [Official PA TV, May 9, 2015]

Nevertheless, many international donors accepted PA assurances that the PA was no ‎longer paying the salaries to terrorist prisoners. For instance, the Dutch government ‎made this statement in April 2015: ‎

‎“The responsibility for payments to prisoners was transferred to the PLO and will ‎no longer be charged to the budget of the PA, and these [payments to prisoners] ‎are not funded by PA tax revenues or donor funds. The PLO pays such costs ‎from their own income, where the Cabinet has no access.” [Question and ‎Answer session, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, April 22, 2015] ‎

Ample evidence contradicts the PA assurances to the Dutch and other donors. These ‎findings are based entirely on information supplied by the PA: ‎

‎- In January 2015, the PA Ministry of Finance announced that the PA budget includes ‎transfer of salaries to prisoners in Israeli jails who were from Gaza. [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, ‎Jan. 6, 2015] This openly contradicts the PA claim that the PA no longer pays salaries ‎to prisoners.‎

‎- When Israel withheld PA tax income in the first months of 2015, the PA announced ‎that prisoners receiving up to 2,000 shekels in salary a month would continue to ‎receive their full salary and those receiving more than 2,000 shekels would only ‎receive 60% of their salary -- the same reduction that was imposed on civil servants. ‎‎[Wattan News Agency, March 5, 2015] Were the PLO paying salaries from Arab donor ‎money and not the PA, Israel's holding up PA money would have no impact on terrorist ‎prisoners’ salaries. Clearly, it is still PA money paying terrorist prisoners’ salaries.‎

To view all PMW reports on PA salaries to terrorist prisoners, click here.

The following section documents all developments related to salaries for ‎Palestinian prisoners imprisoned in Israel:‎

Headline: “Abu Diyak: The occupation is terrorist and the prisoners are symbols of our struggle”
“[PA] Minister of Justice Ali Abu Diyak emphasized yesterday [April 22, 2017] that it is not possible… to stain with terror the struggle of our people that is defending itself, its land, its holy sites, its freedom, and its just rights.
Abu Diyak said in response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statements regarding the request to stop paying financial allowances (mukhassasat) to the prisoners and the Martyrs’ (Shahids’) families: ‘The Martyrs and prisoners are the symbols of our legitimate national struggle, the conscience of our Palestinian people, and victims of the organized terror and state terror that the occupation uses against our people.’”Click to view bulletin

Headline: "The call to stop the allowances of the families of the Martyrs, prisoners, and wounded is insolence and an act of provocation"
"PLO Executive Committee member and member of the political bureau of the Democratic Front [for the Liberation of Palestine] Tayseer Khaled emphasized that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statements about stopping the salaries of the Martyrs (Shahids), prisoners, and wounded are insolence and an act of provocation, and come as part of an organized campaign led by the occupation government in coordination with the American administration and several European parties.
Khaled added in an interview with the media outlets that this campaign is not meant to examine the will of the Palestinians to advance in the process of the political arrangement or the peace plan that the American administration is talking about. It is a trial balloon and a tool to measure the willingness to make a series of concessions - which the Al-Quds newspaper reported on from reliable and knowledgeable sources in Washington - including the Palestinian side's return to negotiations without preconditions and stopping the payment of the financial allowances to the prisoners in the prisons and their families. This is under the pretext that this is liable to encourage 'terror,' according to the claims of parties in the Israeli government and the American administration.
He emphasized: 'The source of terror in the region is Jewish–Israeli, and those whose allowances the American administration is demanding to stop are freedom fighters, and the Palestinian side cannot relate to these provocative demands."

Headline: “On the eve of Prisoner’s Day: 6,500 prisoners - including 57 women and 300 children - in the occupation’s prisons”
“The [PLO] Commission of Prisoners and Released Prisoners’ Affairs, the [PA-funded] Prisoners’ Club, and the Central Bureau of Statistics said that there are 6,500 Palestinian prisoners in the occupation’s prisons, including 57 women and 300 children.”

Headline: “The reduction of salaries also included the prisoners from the PA Security Forces in Gaza”
“The prisoners from the PA Security Forces in Gaza said that the reduction that the [PA] unity government carried out in last month’s (i.e., March 2017) salaries of the [public] employees in the Gaza Strip also included them. Prisoners noted in separate interviews with the [independent Palestinian news] agency Safa that 30-40% was deducted from their salaries, exactly like all the rest of the PA employees in Gaza. The prisoners described the step that was carried out against them as ‘arbitrary, not national, and irresponsible,’ and demanded that the Fatah leadership and [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas intervene urgently to compensate them and again pay their full salaries. Safa spoke with a number of prisoners in the Nafha Prison, where there are 23 prisoners from the PA Security Forces in Gaza all of whom had part of their salaries deducted, along with [additional] prisoners in other prisons.”

Headline: “?$17 billion were transferred over the last 10 years in order to provide for the needs of the Gaza Strip’ – Hamdallah: Some of the wage additions were cut in the salaries of the Gaza employees; Hamas is taking all of the revenue and spending it only on itself”
“[PA] Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah said: ‘The [PA] government has decided to take austerity measures on the expenses since last year [2016] in the West Bank. The first sector in which they began was the security sector, whose expenses were reduced by 25%. In addition, the budgets of many sectors were reduced due to the 70% drop in foreign aid. We are suffering from a large financial crisis.’ He added: ‘The base salaries of the [public] employees in the Gaza Strip were not harmed, but rather some of the wage additions were cut, while some of them were left intact. This is so that we will be able to manage the financial crisis from which we are suffering.’ Hamdallah continued: ‘We demand that Hamas give the Gaza Strip to the legal leadership (i.e., Fatah), as Hamas is taking all of the revenue and spending it only on itself, while we are fulfilling all of our obligations towards the members of our people in the Gaza Strip...”Click to view bulletin

Headline: "Will Israel succeed in stopping the salaries of the prisoners and Martyrs?”
"Signs of a new 'confrontation' between the PA and Israel are seen on the horizon due to a new bill submitted by Israeli Parliament members to deduct the amount of financial aid that the PA provides to the families of the Martyrs (Shahids) and prisoners from the tax money collected by Israel and returned [to the PA]...
Spokesman for the [PLO] Commission of Prisoners and Released Prisoners' Affairs Hassan Abd Rabbo emphasized to the [independent Palestinian news] agency Ma'an that it is the right of all of the prisoners and Martyrs who have struggled and sacrificed for Palestine to receive their full salaries from the PA. He also emphasized that all of their salaries are paid by the PLO-affiliated Palestinian National Fund, and not by the Palestinian [PA] government. ‘Approximately 7,000 prisoners within the prisons and thousands of released prisoners receive monthly salaries of more than 1,400 [Israeli] shekels, in addition to canteen money that the prisoner receives in order to buy food and essentials within the prison,' said Abd Rabbo.
The prisoner's salary changes according to the years of imprisonment, social situation, and the number of his family members, as the salary of some of the prisoners reaches 10,000 shekels, particularly those who have served more than 10 years of imprisonment."Click to view bulletin

“[Fatah Central Committee member and Fatah Commissioner of International Relations Rawhi Fattouh said:] There is a drop in support and funding from all [countries], even in the Arab arena, and this withdrawal stems from a number of factors. The first is the freezing of the peace process due to the Israeli steps, and particularly the expansion of the settlements. This is in addition to the pressures exerted on the decision makers in these countries by supporters of Israel and [Israeli] lobbies with various names. For example, they tell them: Why are you providing aid to those who are paying the prisoners and the Martyrs’ (Shahids’) families? In other words, the PLO and the PA - even though this is a natural thing, as the PA cannot shake off the Palestinian civilians. The wars that Israel waged against the Gaza Strip in 2008, 2012, and 2014 left many victims among the families of the civilians, and they were not fighters or military personnel. They were living securely in their homes when they fell victim to Israel’s crimes, and they left families behind. Are we allowed to shake off these families? The international community held a conference at Sharm el-Sheikh on rebuilding the Gaza Strip, which was destroyed by Israel. Just as you restore a house that was destroyed, you also need to pay the family of the Martyr who was killed unjustly by the Israeli Air Force. Likewise, most of the prisoners that Israel arrests are taken while living securely in their homes; in other words, they did not carry out any military activity or self-sacrificing activity (i.e., terror attack). The number of Palestinians in the Israeli prisons is over 7,000, and we provide material aid to their families because that is our obligation, and if we do not do this, what will be their fate? They are liable to turn to ISIS or any other extremist party. This emphasizes the significance of the inclusion we are providing, not only in the framewo

"The Secretary-General of the [National] Association [of the Martyrs' Families of Palestine Muhammad Sbeihat] mentioned the issue of stopping the allowances (mukhassasat) of many of the civilian Martyrs' families (i.e., a few dozen families stopped receiving payments in February 2017, Ma'an [independent Palestinian news agency]) , and of some of the Martyrs' wives who married the Martyrs' brothers. He emphasized that the issue has been raised to [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas, and that the Association and the [PLO] Families of the Martyrs and Wounded Institution are investing intensive efforts to deal with the issue as quickly as possible. He emphasized that Abbas and [PA] Prime Minister Dr. Rami Hamdallah are following the issue with the relevant parties, and expressed optimism about its resolution in a few days. He emphasized that in the upcoming period the allowances of the Martyrs' families will be linked to the cost of living index, which will cause an improvement in these allowances, if only slightly. He emphasized that the Association will continue its efforts and demands to improve the allowances of the Martyrs' families, and deal with the issue of the allowances of the families of the Martyrs of the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip in 2014 (i.e., 2014 Gaza War)..."Click to view bulletin

Excerpt of op-ed by Omar Hilmi Al-Ghoul, regular columnist of the official PA daily

"[Israeli] Minister of War (sic., Defense) Avigdor Liberman demanded more than a week ago that the PLO [Palestinian] National Fund be considered a 'terrorist organization!' [What would he say] if they asked the minister of death (sic., defense): ‘On what basis did you make this statement? Did you check the summaries signed in the Oslo Accords? Do you know what the significance and status of the National Fund is within the PLO, which your government at the time recognized in Washington in 1993, and what the criteria of terror are? And what do you call the [Jewish] National Fund of the Jewish Agency (sic., the two organizations are not connected)? And what do you call the Zionist movement and your rebellious state? And what do you call yourself or how do you describe yourself, you who not long ago came from the remnants of the dismantled Soviet Union, at the beginning of the 1990s, to the land of Palestine as an occupier and thief?’
…
If the minister of war does not know the meaning of terror, it can be defined for him and for the Israeli colonialists like him: Terror is when a man, group, or state carries out an act of aggression (an explosion, bombing, kidnapping, or takeover) [parentheses in source] against other people anywhere in the world; or beginning a war against a people or members of a religion, ethnicity, or faith out of racial intent; or forcing the people to leave their homeland and stealing their property, lands, and homes, and that is the most severe form of global terror…

Headline: “A family calls on the [PA] president to move its wage earner’s salary to [be under] the Families of the Martyrs [and Wounded] Institution”
“The family of late Alaa Al-Din Darwish Al-Qabbani (i.e., Fatah member who died of an illness) from the Bureij refugee camp in the center of the Gaza Strip asked [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas to act to move its wage earner’s salary (ratib) from the [PA] Insurance and Pension [Authority] to [be under] the [PLO] Families of the Martyrs [and Wounded] Institution.
The deceased’s son Aed Al-Qabbani said that his father worked in the [PA] National Security Forces at the rank of soldier until his death as a result of a medical error, and he left behind a family of 10 people, most of whom are children and school students.
The deceased’s son Al-Qabbani added: ‘We as a grief-stricken family were struck with shock when the [PA] Organization and Administration Bureau in Ramallah determined that our father is a Martyr (Shahid) but moved his allowances (mukhassasat) to the Insurance and Pension Authority, because the sum of this allowance does not exceed 850 [Israeli] shekels [per month], and does not cover the expenses of a family of 10 people.’
He asked the president to give an order to move his father’s salary from the Pension Authority to the Families of the Martyrs Institution.”

Headline: “[PA] Minister Abu Shahla spoke with Donia Al-Watan about the salaries, financial crisis, electricity, temporary positions, and early pension”
“[PA] Minister of Labor Ma’moun Abu Shahla said that the [PA] national unity government has a monthly revenue of 900 million [Israeli] shekels, and its monthly expenditures exceed 1.15 billion shekels. He noted that the unity government suffers from a [monthly] financial deficit that stands at 250 million shekels.
Dr. Abu Shahla added in a special interview with [the independent Palestinian news agency] Donia Al-Watan: ‘Some think that the international aid reaches the Palestinian government continuously… There were promises that the aid would reach five billion [dollars], and it started to drop until in 2015 it reached approximately 700 million dollars, and in 2016 not even 450 million [dollars] reached us.’ …
Dr. Abu Shahla emphasized that the most important thing for the government is the timely payment of the salaries, as they must be paid on the first of the month, and the unity government has not been late [in paying] the salaries by even one day. Despite [the fact that] the government’s revenue mainly arrives from its own sources alongside the international aid that reaches 10% of the general budget; despite the ongoing pressure of the international community that it is not possible to pay the salaries of the [public] employees in Gaza who are not working; and despite the threats of the World Bank and the European Union to stop the economic aid for the salaries, the government has committed itself to pay all of the salaries, and we will not stop anyone’s salary.”

Headline: “The Association of the Martyrs’ Families demands to return to paying the allowances of two groups”

“The [PLO] National Association of the Martyrs’ Families of Palestine demanded to return to paying the monthly allowances (mukhassasat) of the Martyrs’ (Shahids’) families whose allowances were stopped last month [February 2017].
The Association said after a meeting of the Association's general secretariat yesterday [March 19, 2017] that the allowances of dozens of families of the Martyrs defined as ‘civilian Martyrs’ have been stopped, along with some of the wives of Martyrs who married the brothers of their Martyr spouses.
The Association explained that the final number of families whose allowances have been stopped has not yet been determined, but that it could be much higher than this.
Secretary-General of the Association Muhammad Sbeihat briefed the members of the general secretariat regarding the latest developments in this matter, and also about the content of the phone conversation he had with [PA] Prime Minister Dr. Rami Hamdallah. He emphasized that Hamdallah showed great willingness to cooperate dealing with this issue, which he considers most important.”

Headline: "Tayseer Khaled: The [PLO Palestinian] National Fund will continue in its commitments to the Palestinians"

"PLO Executive Committee member Tayseer Khaled emphasized that the [PLO] Palestinian National Fund will continue in its national and humanitarian commitments to the prisoners, Martyrs (Shahids), and wounded of Palestine, regardless of Israeli Minister of War (i.e., Defense) Avigdor Liberman's statements. He described these statements as part of an Israeli attempt to extort the Palestinian leadership and the PLO so that they will retreat from their commitments and from paying the allowances (mukhassasat) of the Martyrs' families, the Palestinian wounded and prisoners, and of all of the civilians that are suffering from the occupation’s terror, from its crimes, and from the terror of the settlers and their crimes.
Khaled noted in an interview with the media outlets that this position expresses the extent of the fascism and extremism that Liberman has reached in his behavior and positions.
He emphasized that these positions are unacceptable, irrelevant, and undeserving of discussion, and that they will have no effect on the position of the Palestinian side and the commitments of the National Fund to the prisoners, Martyrs, wounded, and their families.

Headline: "Ismail: Israel’s decision regarding the [Palestinian] National Fund is aggression and terror"

"PLO Executive Committee member Muhammad Ismail emphasized that [Israeli Minister of Defense Avigdor] Liberman's latest statements, which accused the [PLO] Palestinian National Fund of terror, are part of a series of statements and attacks by the occupation government against the Palestinian people and its cause.
He explained that the National Fund is basically the treasury of the PLO, which is recognized by Israel as the representative of the Palestinian people. Ismail also explained yesterday [March 19, 2017] in an interview with Radio Mawtini that the occupation government does not have a right to accuse the National Fund of terror because of the mutual recognition between the PLO and Israel. He added that Israel's retreat from the signed agreements and its ignoring international decisions that have confirmed the right of the Palestinians to independence is considered an aggressive and terrorist way of acting."

On March 16, 2017, Israeli Minister of Defense Avigdor Liberman declared the Palestinian National Fund of the PLO a terrorist organization. The fund manages financial aid received by the PLO from different sources. The Israeli Ministry of Defense declare the fund a terror organization due to the fund's "massive support for elements responsible for committing severe acts of terrorism against Israel," and stated that the fund serves "as a significant financial pipeline for tens of millions of shekels that are transferred on a monthly basis to security prisoners held in Israel for committing acts of terrorism and to members of their families," and that "the fund also supports family members of terrorists who were wounded and killed while perpetrating acts of terrorism against Israel." It also stated that "the necessary steps will be taken, in Israel and abroad,

"The [PA] Ministry of Information said that occupation [Israeli] Minister of War (sic., Defense) Avigdor Liberman’s declaration of the [PLO] Palestinian National Fund as a terrorist organization is the height of insolence and proof of political foolishness.
The ministry said in a statement: 'It would be more fitting for Liberman and all of the politicians in Israel to acknowledge that the occupation is an act that exceeds all terror, and that it is the spiritual forefather of extremism and racism.'
The ministry said that it thinks that Liberman's stupidity constitutes a continuation of the occupation state’s evasion of recognizing international law, and a desperate attempt to incite the world against the PLO and its mechanisms."

On March 16, 2017, Israeli Minister of Defense Avigdor Liberman declared the Palestinian National Fund of the PLO a terrorist organization. The fund manages financial aid received by the PLO from different sources. The Israeli Ministry of Defense declare the fund a terror organization due to the fund's "massive support for elements responsible for committing severe acts of terrorism against Israel," and stated that the fund serves "as a significant financial pipeline for tens of millions of shekels that are transferred on a monthly basis to security prisoners held in Israel for committing acts of terrorism and to members of their families," and that "the fund also supports family members of terrorists who were wounded and killed while perpetrating acts of terrorism against Israel." It also stated that "the necessary steps will be taken, in Israel and abroad, to seize and forfeit the property and money belonging to the fund.”
Palestinian Media Watch has documented that the

Headline: “The [PA] presidency: Liberman’s declaration that the Palestinian National Fund is a ‘terror organization’ is a basic violation of the Oslo Accords”

“The [PA] presidency said yesterday [March 16, 2017] that Israeli Minister of War (i.e., Defense) Avigdor Liberman’s declaration and statements, according to which the Palestinian National Fund is a terror organization, constitute a basic violation of the Oslo Accords that were signed between the PLO and Israel.
The presidency added in a press statement that the National Fund is one of the PLO institutions that fills its role according to the agreements that were signed and according to the international standards of full transparency, and is under international supervision.
The statement also said: ‘While the American administration is trying to create an atmosphere that will contribute to creating peace through its conversations with all of the sides and the presence of [US] President Donald Trump’s representative in the region, this declaration constitutes an Israeli attempt to thwart and destroy the American efforts and disparage them.’
The presidency said: ‘We reject this decision entirely and demand that the Israeli government immediately deal with this matter and take it back, because this will lead to an explosion of the foundations of the accords and the legal relations with Israel.’

Headline: "Palestinian condemnation of Israel's decision to add the [Palestinian] National Fund to the 'terror' list"

"PLO Executive Committee member Wasel Abu Yusuf condemned the fact that Israeli Minister of War (sic. Defense) Avigdor Liberman added the Palestinian National Fund that belongs to the PLO to the 'terrorist organization' list, and warned that this step is an attempt to 'incite against the Palestinian leadership.'
Abu Yusuf said in a phone conversation with the [Turkish] news agency Anadolu that 'The struggle against the Israeli occupation is a legal right, and the victims and imprisoned during the Palestinian struggle against the occupation are protected by law.'
He added: 'The Palestinian National Fund is a national institution of the PLO, the legal representative of all of the Palestinians, and harming it means harming the whole body.'
He continued: 'The occupation is the source of the terror in the region, and we cannot accept these accusations.’"

Headline: “Radio: Greenblatt warned Abbas about the American Congress’ intention to stop the financial aid to the PA”
“Hebrew radio noted that Palestinian sources said that American [Special] Representative [for International Negotations] Jason Greenblatt warned Palestinian [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas about the American Congress’ intention to condition the continued provision of financial aid to the PA on stopping the incitement to terror, and on the PA stopping the provision of financial aid to the families of the resistance fighters…
In a statement of the [American] Consulate [in Jerusalem] it was said that Abbas expressed to the American representative his confidence in the possibility of achieving a historical peace under the patronage of [US] President Donald Trump.
The statement also added that Abbas ‘promised to fight incitement, violence, and terror.’”

Headline: "Al-Quds Open University celebrates the graduation of two prisoners"
"Al-Quds Open University and the [PLO] Commission of Prisoners and Released Prisoners' Affairs yesterday [March 13, 2017] celebrated the graduation of prisoners Majdi Hussein Yusuf Al-Rimawi (i.e., terrorist, participated in murder of Israeli Minister of Tourism Rehavam Ze'evi) and Abd Al-Karim Al-Dayem Fayyad 'Khader' (PMW could not verify the nature of his crimes -Ed.), who are among the first students to graduate the university's program that is meant to provide an education to the prisoners.
The ceremony was held at the university's presidential building in Ramallah, in the presence of the prisoners' families and Director of Commission of Prisoners and Released Prisoners' Affairs Issa Karake...
Prisoner Al-Rimawi is serving a life sentence, while prisoner Fayyad is serving an 18-year sentence. The two of them have been in the occupation's prisons since 2002."Click to view bulletin

"Director of the education department in the [PLO] Commission of Prisoners and Released Prisoners' Affairs Sayyaf Abu Saif yesterday [Feb. 29, 2016] announced the opening of registration for Al-Quds Open University, which will take place March 1 - 31, 2016. Abu Saif demanded that relatives of the prisoners in the Gilboa prison begin their children's registration, which will take place under the following conditions: A prisoner who is under arrest (i.e., who has not yet received a sentence) cannot register to this program, the prisoner must have a high school diploma recognized by the [PA] Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Ramallah, with an average of 85 or higher, a prisoner whose [prison] sentence is more than three years is allowed to register for the program, except for students for the Al-Quds Open University who can join regardless of the length of their [prison] sentence... The only specializations that can be registered for are social work, the Arab language, Islamic education, and social sciences." Click to view bulletin

Prisoners in general and security prisoners in particular, are only allowed to conduct specific activities permitted to them by Israeli law and the rules of the Israeli Prison Service. In accordance with these, since 2011, security prisoners are no longer permitted to participate in degree courses. The PLO Commission of Prisoners' Affairs is funded by the Palestinian National Fund, which was declared a terror organization by Israel on March 16, 2017. PMW has notified the IPS that hundreds of Palestinian terrorist prisoners continue to study for academic degrees in spite of the ban.